Looking up at the star-lit night sky often reminds us that concerns such as bills, work schedules and dinnertime plans mean nothing when compared to the vast scale of the cosmos.
Although our terrestrial worries often keep us firmly grounded, the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition has opened our eyes to the beauty of celestial bodies, and reminds us that in the grand scheme of things, these worries are minuscule.
The Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition is now in its 10th year and honours the most captivating pictures of space, planets and stars.
This year’s competition received more than 4,200 entries from more than 91 countries across the globe. Below are the 11 winning pictures:
People and Space and Overall Winner – Transport the Soul © Brad Goldpaint
Our Sun Winner – Sun King, little King, and God of War
© Nicolas Lefaudeux
Galaxies Winner – NGC 3521 – Mysterious Galaxy © Steven Mohr
Our Moon Winner – Inverted colours of the boundary between Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquilitatis
© Jordi Delpeix Borrell
Aurorae Winner – Speeding on the Aurorae Lane
© Nicolas Lefaudeu
Stars and Nebulae Winner – Corona Australis Dust Complex
© Mario Cogo
Stars and Nebulae Winner – Corona Australis Dust Complex
© Mario Cogo
Robotic Scope Prize Winner – Two comets with the Pleiades
© Damian Peach
Planets, Comets and Asteroids Winner – The Grace of Venus
© Martin Lewis
The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer Winner – Galaxy Curtain Call
© Tianhong Li
Young Competition Winner – Great autumn morning
© Fabian Dalpiaz
Pictures: Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018
